Virtual Kubota Castle Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Daihi-ji Temple

 

     Daihi-ji Temple was founded in Terauchiyakeyama, Akita, 011-0907, in 1282 under the order of Minamoto Koreyasu (1264-1326), who reigned from 1266 to 1289 as the 7th Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate.  In 1282, Hojo Tokimune (1251-1284) was the 8th Regent of the shogunate.

     As the Mongol Empire invaded Japan in 1274 and 1281, the temple could have been founded in commemoration of the victory.  But why in a port town in Dewa Province when the empire mainly invaded Kyushu?

     In 1263, Kubilai Khan, the fifth ruler of the Mongol Empire, took control of the lower reaches of the Amur River, subjugating the Jurchen and Nanai peoples as well as the Nivkh, who dwelt near the mouth of the Amur and across the strait on Sakhalin.

     According to the Yuan Shi, the official history of the Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty China, Kubilai’s army conquered the Kugi of Sakhalin a year later, in 1264. The history claims that the Mongols attacked the Kugi when the Gilimi, who had already submitted to the Mongol armies, complained that the Kugi had invaded their territory.  Kugi was widely, especially outside Japan, believed to have been Ainu.

     Nichiren (1222-1282), a Buddhist priest, wrote an autobiography in 1276 on his religious activities from 1268 to 1275.  In the autobiography, he mentioned Ando Goro, a legendary founder of the Ando Pirates.  According to Nichiren’s narration, Goro was beheaded somewhere in the north.  Who was Ando Goro beheaded by?  What was happening in the region to the north of Japan?

     Archaeologically speaking, the then Ainu people spread from northern Honshu Island, southern Hokkaido Island, and Sakhalin.  At the time, the iron culture was spreading northward from Honshu Island.  The spread of the iron culture meant the spread of iron arms.  And it was at that time that the Mongol Empire was invading the Amur river basin.  The empire had, as a matter of course, had the most advanced weapons at the time.  Ainu might have been competing against the empire for natural resources in the Amur River basin.  Was Goro beheaded by Ainu in Hokkaido or in Sakhalin?  Or was he beheaded by Mongols in Sakhalin or in the Amur River basin?

     Goro could have been beheaded by Gilimi.   Gilimi was the Sinicized pronunciation of Gillemi, the name that the Nanai people in the lower Amur used to refer to a people who called themselves the Nivkh.  (The Russians who explored the region in the seventeenth century called them the Gilyak.)  Even today, there are still approximately 4,500 Nivkh around the mouth of the Amur and in northern Sakhalin.

     Goro could have been beheaded by Mongolians.  In 1263, the Mongol Empire took control of the lower reaches of the Amur River, subjugating the Jurchen and other peoples. The empire encountered people with iron arms of Sakhalin a year later, in 1264.  In 1265 the people attacked and killed some local warriors who had allied with the empire.  The two were to clash against each other in Sakhalin.  The empire planned to send out an expedition to Sakhalin to subjugate the people in1273, but this failed to make it across the strait.  In 1284, waiting for the strait freezing over, the empire crossed the strait in the winter.  In 1285, the empire deployed a troop strength of 10,000 and attacked the people.  In 1286, the empire deployed 10,000 soldiers and 1,000 ships and overwhelmed the people.  They reached the southernmost tip of Sakhalin, and built a castle there.  Despite their defeat, however, the people kept trying to advance into the Amur River basin on the continent in 1296, 1297, and 1305.  In 1297, they crossed the sea into the lower reaches of the Amur River, and tried to abduct hawk hunters.  As hawk and eagle feathers used to be typical exports from the Amur River basin to Japan, they were trying to gain control over exporting the feathers.  They finally became obedient to the empire by paying tribute of hides and fur to the empire.  Paying tribute also meant barter trading.  The people might have been, from north to south, either Nivkh, Ainu, or the Ando Pirates.

     Anyway, the Kamakura Shogunate should have taken measures for the defense of the coastline along the Sea of Japan.

     In 1394, Daihi-ji Temple converted from Tiantai School to Linji Chan School.  At the beginning of the Edo Period, when Kubota Castle was built, the temple was moved to its present place.  Its precincts have Koshio-do Hall.

     Emperor Mimaki ruled Japan from the latter half of the 3rd century to the beginning of the 4th century.  10 years after his rising to the throne, he dispatched Prince Obiko to Koshi Province to bring the northern foreigners there under control.  Obiko reached Agita Inlet, which is supposed to be today's Akita, and enshrined Takemikazuchi, the god of thunder, there.

     Empress Takara (594-661) dispatched Abe Hirafu to the province from 658 to 660.  He amalgamated local gods of the northern foreigners there with Takemikazuchi and named them Koshio, namely Koshi King.

     Urabe Yasumasa presented an Avalokitesvara image to Koshio Shrine in Akita to syncretize the god with Buddhism.

     It is interesting that Daihi-ji  temple was founded near Akita Castle, which was an ancient castle.

     In 709, Ideha County, which was changed to Dewa later by the end of the 12th century, was established at the northern end of Koshi Province.  Ideha Fortress was supposedly built around that time at the estuary of Mogami River.  Ideha County was separated from Koshi Province and was promoted to province in 712.  In 733, Ideha Fortress was relocated north, or advanced, to Akita at the estuary of Omono River at about 100 kilometers from its original place.   Ideha Fortress in Akita was first documented as Akita Castle on March 16th, 760.  The Akita area at the time was sparsely populated, and no large-scale villages were found.  The fortress was in the front line.  A kind of farmer-soldiers were sent to the area mainly from Koshi and Shinano Provinces, and a kind of a small “castle town” was formed around the fortress.  The villagers consisted of immigrant farmer-soldiers and “subordinate Emishi”, who had surrendered themselves to Japan.  The areas around Akita Castle became unstable for some reason or other, and at last in 780, Abe Yakamaro, a general in Akita Castle, reported to Emperor Konin (709-781) that the castle should be abandoned, which meant to retreat about 100 kilometers south again.  The Imperial Court replied to him, "Akita Castle was built by former generals and prime ministers.  It has stood the test of time."  The Ideha Provincial Government was moved back south, but Akita Castle remained as the front line of the Imperial Army.

     In the latter half of the 10th century, the Akita Castle ceased functioning as an ancient government office.  Even the buildings in Terauchiunoki, which are supposed to have been Buddhist temples, disappeared after the first half of the 11th century.  The Ando Pirates built Minato Fortress about 2 kilometers north of Akita Castle in the 14th century at the latest.

     Daihi-ji Temple joins Otera Oyatsu Club, which provides offerings at temples to families in need as hand-me-downs from Buddha.  These offerings or hand-me-downs are delivered through support groups that provide support to children.

     In addition to sweets, fruit, dried noodles, and other everyday items are also shared.

The Otera Oyatsu Club originally started at a temple in Nara Prefecture in 2014.

Daihi-ji Temple joined in 2018. The club has now spread as an NPO activity, with over 1,600 temples across the country participating.

Address: 4−50 Kyokuhokuteramachi, Akita 010-0924

Phone: 018-823-2379

 

Koshio Shrine

Address: 1 Chome-5-55 Terauchikozakura, Akita, 011-0909

Phone: 018-845-0333

Akita Castle Ruins

address: 5 Terauchiohata, Akita, 011-0939

Phone: 018-845-1837

Otera Oyatsu Club

Address: 40 Yao, Tawaramoto, Shiki District, Nara 636-0311